


Faded Memories: A Bumblebee Minific

by gandalfthegregarious



Category: RWBY
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-07
Updated: 2016-07-07
Packaged: 2018-07-22 01:34:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7413271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gandalfthegregarious/pseuds/gandalfthegregarious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young, homeless Blake struggles with her daily life as a Faunus, which includes dealing with prejudice and abuse.<br/>However, a chance meeting with a girl about her age makes her feel as if there are those who actually care for her. </p>
<p>Swaps between present day perspective at Beacon academy, and a flashback AU of sorts. A scenario in which Blake and Yang could have met as kids.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Faded Memories: A Bumblebee Minific

**Author's Note:**

> This one was a favorite of mine to write some time ago. People seemed to really enjoy it on tumblr, so I hope any who read it here enjoy it as well!

Serenity was a sensation that one Blake Belladonna rarely had the opportunity to experience, and so, when it would present itself to her, she was one to savor it, and truly appreciate the peace.  
A calming silence filled the dormitory, as her teammates were not present at that time, having gone off to partake in the music and crowds that one could usually expect to find at a party.  
While Ruby, Weiss, and Yang were likely occupying themselves in a multitude of wild activities, Blake was not one to do so.

She simply preferred the quiet, calming relaxation of curling up under her covers, lights off, reading a good book by the flickering illumination of a candle.  
To her, there was no better way in which to spend her Saturday nights.  
As Blake propped herself up onto her elbows, lying on her stomach, and flipped her novel open, she found herself remembering the first party the students at Beacon had thrown, and how she had unwillingly been dragged there by her incredibly insistent partner.  
Blake could recall the obnoxiously loud music volumes, the unnecessarily large crowds, and the incessant chatter of dozens upon dozens of students, all lost in their silly gossip groups and foolish dancing.  
Blake could not think of a more uncomfortable environment to be in, and, following that night, she vowed to stay away from similar events in the future.

She was glad her friends could properly enjoy themselves at such gatherings. However, she had determined that it simply wasn't for her.  
And so, there she was, alone in the dorm, changed into her nightclothes for bed at nine in the evening, cozy and comfy.

Soon, Blake found herself lost in her book, unable to tear her eyes away from the yellowed pages, seemingly entranced in a wonderful world of Lords and Ladies, of dragons and knights, political drama and a touch of romantic subplot. It was truly a fascinating read, a convenient escape from all that she found troublesome, and a dimension of sorts where her worries simply failed to exist.  
It was this pleasure, this blissful serenity, that made Blake Belladonna's nights all the more enjoyable.

However, Blake evetually felt her eyelids grow heavy, and she struggled to focus on the words before her. She didn't want to sleep just yet. She was at a particularly exciting part.  
Despite her best efforts, Blake nodded off, book falling closed, her head tucked into her chest.  
The silence of the dormitory was disturbed by a light purr. Then, the silence resumed.

Eleven years earlier

"You keep your FUCKING paws off my shit you fucking stray!" Roared the grocery attendant, as he dragged a little girl out the store door and tossed her into the street. The girl landed on the muddy pavement with a yelp, scraping her knees and elbows in a poor attempt to break her fall.  
The attendant simply spat in her direction, before stomping back inside, his face red and fuming.

The young girl struggled to her feet, and tried brushing the filth off her torn, ragged garments. It was no use. The mud clung to the material, almost stubbornly, as if marking her as the the "filth" society believed her to be.

Multiple people witnessed this particular little episode, though none paid the crying little girl any attention, and those who did, only raised their eyebrows and looked away.

They believed the girl was a burden. A scorch mark on the civilized world. She was a Faunus, after all.

Her name was Blake Belladonna.  
Sniffling, she ran off into a nearby alleyway, hoping to escape the judging, scathing eyes of the public. She knew she had been foolish. It was silly to think that she could slip in and out of the grocery unnoticed, only, her hunger made it difficult to think rationally.

Blake collapsed against a brick wall, and cried softly. The stench of a nearby garbage pile caused her nose to crinkle in disgust, although she knew it to be ironic, seeing as she herself hadn't bathed in nearly three days. And now, she was covered in mud, her one decent pair of clothing now soiled and torn.

Wiping her eyes and cheeks, Blake turned her attention to the stinging sensation in her left foot. After a brief examination, she found a small shard of glass wedged into her sole, and tore it out, yelping at the pain.  
At the sound, several birds fled their perch from nearby rooftops, leaving the poor girl truly, utterly, alone.

Blake held a hand to her feline ears, gently removing a leaf from the tangles of her hair. Her ears twitched at the contact, as they were incredibly sensitive.  
Blake sighed, as she found this sensitivity to be quite disadvantageous.

On several horrid occasions, she had fallen victim to ruthless mobs, all clamoring, tearing to hit her, to wound her. Most particularly her ears. To them, she was a thieving scoundrel, who needed to be taught her place in the world.  
And they were plenty glad to do it.

She rested her head in her lap, tired and weary, and wished dearly for some form of deliverance from her suffering. Some hope, some happiness. A ray of sunshine, to break through the clouds that had seemingly permanently encircled her.

This sunshine came in the form of laugh.  
It was a shriek, really, only one of glee. It was followed by a bout of giggling, and such an innocent sound drew Blake's attention.

She wandered out of her hiding spot in the alley, holding a small, thin arm to her eyes to block out the sun that greeted her as she left the shade. Squinting, she saw three figures, one of which she assumed was the source of the laughing.

Across the street from her, stood a woman with short dark hair and a white cloak, and she was grasping several shopping bags, as well as the hands of two little girls.

One of the girls appeared to be about four or so, and was nearly a mirror image of the woman she clung too.

The second girl, however, looked nothing like the woman, as she had long blonde hair, bound into two tight ponytails, draped over her shoulders.  
The girl, who appeared to be roughly 6 or 7 years of age, was holding a bag too, and was staring intently at it, a big smile plastered upon her cheery face.

"Can I wear them NOW ?" She said insistingly, as she pulled what appeared to be a shoebox out from the bag.

Blake stood there intrigued, standing silently across the street, observing this exchange.

The woman smiled, albeit with a hint of exasperation  
"Yang," she said firmly, "Those shoes are for school. Not for now."

The blonde girl crossed her arms.  
"Please?" She asked, stopping in her tracks.  
The woman halted as well, and shook her head.  
The smaller girl, still grasping the woman's hand tightly, kicked the ground lightly, staring at the pavement.  
"Mom said no, Yang..." She muttered.

The blonde girl glared at both of them. Gritting her teeth defiantly, looking up at the woman, she stated, "YOU'RE not my mom."

The smaller girl gasped, and held a hand to her mouth. The woman simply gave the blonde girl a stern look, but said nothing.

Blake watched interestedly from the opposing sidewalk, and despite her good hearing, she could not make sense of what they were saying. All she knew, was that the blonde girl, who appeared to be roughly her age, had said something that troubled the woman, as she was shaking her head disappointedly.

"I'm going into this store with Ruby," the woman finally said. "You wait outside and think about being more respectful."

As she entered the store with the smaller girl, the older one stared at the floor, a scowl worn across her face. She crossed her arms, and leaned against the wall.

Blake scratched her Faunus ears with disappointment. When she had heard that playful laughter from the alleyway, she was drawn to it, wishing, hoping for something fortunate to happen to her, as the laughter seemed to evoke that sense.  
Now, she saw, that the girl from whom the laughter had stemmed, was in just a miserable state as her. And she was a human.  
It truly boggled Blake's mind, how someone so privileged to be free of hate and spite, could seem so unhappy.

Blake turned to walk away, but was prevented from doing so by a strong grip on her tattered shirt collar. Looking up, she saw two men snarling at her, their eyes narrowing at the sight of the Faunus girl's golden, cat-like eyes peering up into theirs.

"The fuck you think you're doing here filth?" One of the men growled, his accomplice frowning in a sort of unspoken agreement.  
"This block here is off limits for your kind." The man continued.  
"You looking to get your filthy paws on the valuables of the decent, hardworking, NORMAL folk who live here?"

Blake shuddered, and squealed, as one of the men pushed her aggressively, her small frame cast to the ground as if she weighed nothing.

They kicked the dirt in her direction, before turning on their heels, slumbering off, having seemingly lost interest. As they walked away, one of them said bitterly, "If we see you here again, I swear I'll cut your fucking ears off, you little bitch."

Blake sat there on the pavement, covered in dirt and mud for the second instance in that one day, and cried once more, the tears rolling down her cheeks and neck.  
She hardly took note of the shadow that had taken to looming over her sad, pathetic form.

"Are you alright?"

Blake sniffed, and looked up. It was the Blonde girl. In her momentary fear, she had forgotten her surroundings, particularly, the girl who had been standing on the opposite end of the street. She seemingly had seen the entire exchange.

The Faunus girl took immediate notice of the blonde's unusual, brilliantly violet eyes. Staring dumbly, she wished she could have such pretty eyes. Then, perhaps, others would take more of a liking to her. Blake knew deep down this wouldn't be the case, but still, she wished.

"Are you alright?" The girl repeated, reaching out a small hand, fingers extending warmly, if almost gracefully.

Blake took the hand hesitantly, and was pulled to her feet. The blonde girl was deceptively strong.

It was then that Blake realized she hadn't said a word, let alone answer the girl's hanging question. She did so with haste.

"I'm f-fine...thanks for helping me up...I-I should go n-now..." She stammered almost incoherently.

The blonde girl stepped in front of her, and crossed her arms.  
"I saw all that. Are you sure you're ok?" She said pressingly.

Blake looked down. "Not really." She muttered quietly, staring at her feet.

The other girl looked down too.  
"You don't have any shoes." She remarked, feeling silly at the comment as soon as she said it.

Blake squirmed uncomfortably, enraptured in a brief moment of self-pity. She hadn't owned a pair of shoes for close to a year, and thus, her feet were covered in cuts and the like. She had grown mostly accustomed to this by now, sadly. It was the norm for her.

"Doesn't it hurt to walk around like that?" The blonde girl pondered aloud.

Blake sighed.  
"Sometimes." She responded, unsure as to why she stood there, answering the stranger's questions.  
Perhaps, she thought, because this was the first conversation she had ever had with a human, that didn't result in her being hit, beaten, or worse.

The blonde girl looked at the bag in her hands, then up at Blake again. She seemed to be struggling with an internal conscious decision. Finally, she handed the bag to the Faunus, who took it, confused.

"They should fit you. I have enough shoes already." The blonde girl stated. "Keep them."

Blake was utterly shocked. She opened the shoebox, and saw its contents. A pair of plain, grey leather slip ons stared back at her, each adorned with a little black bow.  
Blushing, she closed the box, and offered it back, holding it out.  
"I-I cant take this. They're yours..." She stammered.

The blonde refused to take them back.  
"I said keep them." She insisted.

Blake tucked the box under her arm, before looking at the girl. Her cat ears twitched curiously.  
"Why...why are you being so nice to me?" She asked, genuinely taken by the human girl's unexpected kindness.

The other girl shrugged. "What do you mean?"

"Well...this is the first time that...that someone like you..."  
She paused, as the blonde girl raised her eyebrows.  
"I mean, a human has been kind to me. You're supposed to hate me."

The blonde girl appeared genuinely bemused. "Why would I hate you?" She asked.

"Because of these..."  
Blake gestured toward her Faunus ears, which wiggled slightly.

The other girl smiled warmly.  
"I think they're cute. Like a kitty!"

Blake felt her face go red. In all of her seven and a half years, she had never had her ears addressed in such an innocent, sweet manner.  
She looked down again, in attempt to conceal her blushing.  
"Y-yeah. I guess so." Was all she could manage to stutter.

They both stood in a brief silence, before a mild yell caught their attention.  
"Yang!" The girl's mother called, exiting the storefront. "We need to go!"

The blonde girl looked at the cat Faunus.  
"I guess I have to get going then. Enjoy the shoes..." She said, before turning to leave.  
Her mother gave her a quizzical look, before staring oddly at the young Faunus girl, who stood there awkwardly, box tucked under her arm.

"Who were you talking to there, Yang?" The woman asked, still staring.

"Just helping a friend out, mom," the girl said matter-of-factly.

"A friend?" The woman wondered. She could see the young girl was a Faunus, and doubted her daughter.

"Yup." Was all the girl responded, as they walked off.

Blake remained standing there for a while, staring at her new shoes. The girl had called her a "friend."  
She had no friends at all, let alone a human one.  
And the girl's name. Her mother had said it aloud.  
Yang.  
Blake smiled weakly, eyes still fixated on the shoes, particularly, the bows thats decorated them.  
It was a nice name, she thought. A pretty name.

"Yang..." She said to no one in particular, as she stood alone in the street.  
"Yang..."

 

Blake awoke with a start, pressing her hand to her face, feeling the wet sensation of tears staining her cheeks.  
Her eyes darted to the clock.  
It was nearly one in the morning. And yet, no one had returned from the party, as all their beds remained unoccupied.  
Blake shuffled out of bed, the cold floor biting into her soles. She searched for her slippers, but couldn't find them.  
She reached a hand under her bed, and pulled out a large, beaten leather suitcase, flipping it open. Rummaging through it, she found something familiar under several books.  
She pulled out a pair of incredibly worn, small, grey shoes. With little black bows on top.  
She sighed. This suitcase was the one thing she had managed to grab before abandoning the White Fang, and Adam. In it, she had stored many of her beloved, precious books.  
And a few select, personal items, which held extreme sentimental value to her.  
Among these, were the shoes she had received so very long ago.

Often, Blake struggled to remember the day she received them. It was often blurry, and all she could recall properly was a girl giving them to her, referring to her ears as "cute", and calling her a "friend."

Only now, during her deep slumber, the entire scenario came back to her in full, vivid detail.

"Yang." She said, breathing heavily, sweat beading at her temple.  
"It was Yang."

"Did you say my name, kitten?"

Blake turned, startled by the sudden appearance of Yang at the dorm door, the hallway's light leaking into the dark room, casting shadows across the wall.

Yang was smiling, as she wasn't expecting to find her partner awake. She herself had left the party early, a rarity for her, to check up on Blake. She worried for her often. She simply tried to convey this in a playful manner.

Blake bit her lip, before holding out the old shoes for Yang to see.

Yang looked puzzled.  
"Why exactly," she asked, "are you showing me an old smelly pair of shoes?"

Blake swallowed.  
"Don't you remember them, Yang?"

"Not particularly..."

"You-you gave them to me..."

"And when was this exactly?"

"We were around seven years old, the two of us. You-you were with Summer and Ruby..."

Yang raised her eyebrows, as if to say a sarcastic, witty remark, before she clasped a hand to her mouth, the sudden epiphany hitting her strongly.

"Oh my..." Yang gasped, almost seemingly lost for words.  
"I- I remember... That little girl...was you..."

Blake looked down again.  
"I didn't have anything back then, Yang. No shoes, no love."  
She paused, as Yang remained silent, in shock.  
"It was you, Yang. It was you that made me feel...like there were good, caring people in the world. That people...that people could care about me."

Yang tried to interrupt. "Blake...I..."

Blake looked up, as if to cut her off. "You were the very first person to care back then, Yang. Even...even now..."

Yang watched as Blake broke into heavy tears, holding her face in her hands.

"You make me feel loved, Yang." Blake finished, before going quiet, crying silently.

Yang approached her, and wrapped her arms around the Faunus in a comforting hug. She pressed her lips to her cheek, leaving a gentle kiss there.

"I think..." Yang began. "I think you need some rest, Blake." She tucked her into her covers, and took the shoes from Blake's tight grasp. Setting them lightly onto the floor, Yang stroked Blake's hair in silence, as the Faunus whimpered, and began falling asleep.

Her bow twitched, and Yang leaned in, planting a light kiss onto her ears.  
"We'll talk in the morning kitten, she whispered. "Goodnight."

Blake sniffled. "You too, Yang."  
She relaxed, as she felt herself drift off.  
"Thank you..."

Yang sat on the edge of Blake's bed, sighing.  
"For what? For the shoes? That was a long time ago. I didn't even recall it until just now, Blake..."

Her partner closed her eyes, and allowed her body to relax.  
"No," she whispered, "thank you for everything..."  
With that, she slipped out of consciousness, letting out a small purr, leaving Yang there, on her bed, a tear gradually trickling down her face.


End file.
